


Black Tie, desperate measures

by Squidgydtd



Category: All Time Low, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-22 20:05:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11387445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squidgydtd/pseuds/Squidgydtd
Summary: Jack Barakat- a highly successful business man and CEO of one of the largest conglomerates in the world, struggles with his personal demons, relationship and mental health behind closed doors.





	1. Certainly, Sir

Jack sipped his latte whilst he reviewed the quarterly report before him. A heavy sigh escaped him seeing the unusually low figures "god fucking damn it" he cursed under his breath as he sat back in his chair, running a hand through his hair and closing his eyes. A knock on the door brought him out of his stupor and he greeted his assistant with a convincing fake smile. "Your husband is here to see you" she announced in her usual cheery demeanour "send him in right away" Jack requested softly offering another light smile. "Certainly, sir." She replied happily exiting the office "Thank You Melanie" Jack said kindly returning his gaze to his papers.

Josh entered the office and strolled over to his husband enthusiastically, wrapping his arms around him. "I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow" Jack looked at his flame haired lover doe eyed as the man settled himself upon his lap. "Well, I just couldn't wait any longer" Josh said with a soft smile. Jack smiled and kissed the man feverishly "I missed you" he added running his thumb along his jaw "Likewise" josh said pulling his husband in for a passionate kiss. Josh's gaze flicked over the report on the desk as Jack snaked his arms around his waist "Babe?" Josh turned his head so he could look at the man. "Yeah?" Jack replied curiously meeting his eyes "This doesn't look so good.." Josh said sadly, "I know" Jack replied in the same tone, tears pricking his eyes. 

"Don't cry baby" Josh wiped his tears and kissed him softly. "Why shouldn't I? My business is going to shit. I would be a fool not to cry over this" Jack supplied his tone somewhat annoyed. "Sorry..I just hate seeing you cry" Josh said looking down. 

"I know, I know" Jack replied softly, lifting Josh's chin and kissing him.

_______

The pair sat on the leather couch, josh snuggled contently into Jack's side his husband's arm loosely slung across his shoulders, both of them sipping on expensive red wine and enjoying one another's company in a comfortable silence. 

"I really missed you" Jack said quietly, stroking his other's hair gently. "Me too" Josh replied, his tone a little raspy having not spoken for a while. Jack held the man closer as he buried his head further into his chest, a quiet sigh escaping him. 

"And how is Tyler?" Jack gritted his teeth a little as the name passed through his lips, Josh raising an eye brow suspiciously at the mention of his best friend. "He's good." Josh lied looking up at Jack who simply nodded at the response "why do you care?" He inquired curiously studying his husbands features. "Just wondering" Jack supplied with a shrug ending the conversation. 

It was very hard for Jack Barakat who was a generous, forgiving, humble and kind hearted man to hate someone. But he despised Tyler Joseph and that was common knowledge among those who knew him. 

Jack and Tyler went way back, in fact it was through Tyler that Jack had met Josh. The two of them had met in their final year of university and opened a business together, which had proven to be rather successful until Jack found out that Tyler was running some Shady business in the background under Jack's name that ultimately lead to the demise of the business and Jack spending 3 years in prison. He had never forgiven Tyler and he never would. 

Jack also knew that Tyler saw Josh as more than a friend- that was plainly obvious, and so it was always hard for Jack to say goodbye to his husband when he flew from their home in LA to Ohio to visit his friend for a couple of weeks every few months. Tyler was manipulative and Josh easily swayed when under the influence of substance, Jack's greatest worry of what was going on between the two while they were alone never ceased when he was gone.

Josh stirred from his momentary nap and sat up stretching, Jack staring blankly at the wall deep in his thoughts. Josh took his phone out of his pocket seeing the time which read 6:00pm and an explicit image from Tyler. He sighed heavily as he unlocked his phone and deleted the image from the text log between he and Tyler. He had no interest in his friends advances, and Tyler didn't seem to be getting the message. 

"Babe I'm going to get started on dinner, what would you like?" Josh asked playing with a loose thread on the hem of Jack's sleeve. "I'm not hungry" Jack responded flatly, his gaze still fixed on the wall. "You're sure..?" Josh's tone was laced with worry and he looked at the man with a concerned expression. "I'm sure. I'm going to bed" Jack turned to look at his husband and cupped his jaw, sadness painted on his features as he stood and left the room before josh could say a word. 

Josh furrowed his brow and sunk back into the lounge, deciding that he too would be skipping dinner for the sick feeling of worry had spoiled his appetite. He flicked through the channels on the television, unable to settle for something to watch, his concentration fixed on Jack and what was going on with him, but most importantly why he was suddenly asking about Tyler.

Meanwhile Jack was upstairs pacing their bedroom and tearing at his hair, trying to think up some fucking miracle to save his company.


	2. My fault

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter is so shit, I hate it and wrote it when my head was all over the place- I will have to re write at some point so it makes more sense is fleshed out better and written better too. I just needed to get the words on the page. In the next few chapters there is going to be more focus on Alex and Tyler as well as major character development.

Tyler stepped into the shower, the Luke warm stream relaxing his tired muscles, Killpop by slipknot playing through the home's surround sound system. He hummed quietly along to the all to relatable track as he shampooed his hair and leaned against the tiled wall, a heavy sigh escaping him.

He stood there a while, leaning against the tiles, water cascading down his slim frame, lost in his head again. The familiar itch of desperation brought him out of his thoughts and he shut off the tap, gingerly stepping out into the cold bathroom and going about drying himself.   
\---  
In the corner of the bedroom floor Josh held Jack close to him, strong arms wrapped around his sobbing mess of a husband protectively, repeating soft sweet nothings and stroking his hair gently. They had been situated in this position for hours, all through the night and now the early hours of the morning, and Josh's back was starting to ache. 

"Babe?" Jack slowly lifted his head from Josh's soaked shirt and turned to face him, the question in his eyes though the words wouldn't come out. "Let's go to bed" Josh said softly as Jack sat up against the wall and nodded weakly. 

Josh stood on shaky legs and helped his lover up off the floor, being sure to support him and hold him steady as Jack doubled over from weakness and how much he was trembling. Josh lead the man to the bed and helped him up, freeing him of his clothes and assisting him to get comfortable under the blankets. Jack gave a subtle smile as Josh kissed his forehead and fell asleep. 

Josh sat on the edge of the bed and watched him sleep for a moment, tears springing to his eyes. The flame haired accountant felt that Jack didn't deserve what he was going through with his business, and quite frankly, didn't know how He could help him. 

He stood and paced the room "I'm meant to be his support and rock, a shoulder to lean and rely upon, but I am not that for him" he muttered to himself wiping his tear flooded eyes with the back of his hand. the guilt and hopelessness building up from that realisation was tearing him apart. 

He quietly made his way down the stairs and settled himself back on the lounge, taking his phone out of his pocket, mindlessly scrolling through his socials before clicking his call log and returning Tyler's call from 3 days ago.  
\---  
"Now's not a good time, J" Tyler told josh on the other end of the line, his voice quiet and raspy for he had been crying. "Tyler? What's wrong?!" Josh pushed alarmed at the tone his friend was using. "Nothing just.. Let me call you back later." Tyler abruptly ended the call and switched his phone off, tossing it across the carpet and returning his attention to the box on the floor before him. 

Josh threw his phone at the wall with force, leaving an unsavoury dent in the beige wall above the television. "FUCK!" He cursed standing and wiping the glass vase clean off the coffee table, where it shattered on the tiles. He couldn't do anything right- Both his husband and his best friend were suffering because of him (or so he thought) and he knew exactly what he had to do. 

*POSSIBLE TRIGGER WARNING AHEAD*

He rummaged through the tool box, searching for the package that contained what he longed for. "Aha" he quietly cried out triumphantly once he had found the packet of razor blades, he slipped one out from the packaging and retreated to the bathroom downstairs. 

Josh's hand was shaky as he brought the metal to his skin, the familiar pinch of desperation at the feeling of it filling his gut. He closed his eyes and quickly dragged the blade across his wrist- he thought he would feel the guilt sick feeling that would draw him away from it but he didn't, not today. His eyes grew dark from the lust for the sight of blood and rush of adrenalin and he dragged it over his wrist again, and again, and again, slower, deeper with every wound he created, until he had marked all the way up to the shoulder of his left arm, the only thing stopping him inflicting more damage was the Meer fact that his vision was blurry and body weakened from blood loss- he hit the tiled floor with a thud and drifted into the blackness of unconsciousness. 

\----

Jack crawled out of the bed, steadying himself on the headboard until the dizziness had subsided. A yelled swear from josh and the sound of glass breaking had dragged him out of his light slumber, and he slowly went down the stair case to investigate. 

"Babe?" Jack called out weakly to a seemingly empty house, he sighed as he passed the broken vase on the floor. It had been in his family for over 200 years, the fact it was smashed wasn't Jack's main priority, Nothing but his husband weighed on his mind. 

He carefully pushed the bathroom door open and immediately gasped tears threatening to spill- The sight of josh laying on the floor, surrounded by blood pumping from self inflicted wounds all up his arm held Jack in a state of shock for a few seconds before his logical brain kicked in and he rushed to his side, scooping Josh's phone off the sink on his way down and dialling an ambulance as he checked for a pulse, which was thankfully, still there. 

He watched on mind blown as his husband was tended to and loaded into the ambulance, tenderly following and climbing in the back with him. He picked up his hand and kissed it, the tears free to fall now. 

"This is all my fault." He told himself quietly as they drove into the sunrise towards the hospital.

\-----

Tyler kneeled over the toilet, vomiting with so much force it was almost unbearably painful, and he whined with every heave, tears falling from his sunken bloodshot eyes. He didn't know why he did this to himself, especially when he knew what it was doing to him, and that it really didn't help. Nonetheless it provided an escape of sorts, and that's exactly what he needed right now- an escape from the cruel reality that is the world. 

He stood on trembling legs and flushed his internal mess, rinsing his mouth with mouth wash and repeatedly splashing his face with water. He blinked long and hard and left the bathroom, deciding that he was ready to go to bed and never wake up again.


End file.
